To Run In and Get Lost
by LiciINaBOX
Summary: The Glee Project: Cameron has always loved trees. Whenever he'd see a large forested area, he would always be tempted to just run in and get lost—to escape the uncaring society. One day, he does; and he meets the person who will change his life forever. Dameron.


_**A/N - **__Inspiration came from when I was at the park for my cousin's birthday party and decided to go looking around the trees. I really liked the forest around there and I actually wanted to run in and get lost. Though, I know my family would be like 'ERMAHGERD! Where did Alicia vanish too!? OMG!' So yeah…couldn't just disappear from society for a bit. So instead, I thought of a Dameron fic while staring into the very tempting trees... _

_This one is more sweet and a little longer than my other Dameron one-shot and is very (or only somewhat) fluffy with naïve teenagers (anddoesntinvolvedeathorsuici deorselfharmoranythingofthes ortbutstillhasslightangestbe causeIlovewritingansgtforsom ereason xD (if you can figure out what that says, you get a cookie))! AAAND, it's my birthday present for my awesome readers! I'm fifteen today :D! So enjoy~!_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own The Glee Project or the contestants that participated. I really kind of wish I did… -sigh- But that would be a form of prostitution… Haha~ I also don't own the song used in this story!**_

* * *

Cameron Mitchell has always loved trees. When he was little, his mother would read him the story book The Lorax every night. He loved it so much that it made him think, not only about the giant plants, but also about the entire environment differently than the other kids he knew. He would pick up pieces of litter he saw, refused to get in the car or the bus—which resulted in his mother having to walk him to school every morning, chose a bike and soccer ball over video games, literally hugged trees, and got furious whenever someone would say trees were stupid. So, most of the kids at school thought he was weird and strayed away from him.

When he was eight, he and his sisters were told that they were moving to a different state. He didn't want that at all. He liked it in Texas. All the people he knew were here and he was familiar with his environment.

Though, unfortunately, it wasn't his choice.

Over the next few months, he found himself in the Northwestern state of Washington. The moment he saw the surroundings of his new home, all of his sorrow from moving vanished.

"There's so many trees!" He had exclaimed enthusiastically. It wasn't called the Evergreen State for nothing. There were pines everywhere! And his new house was located in a forested neighborhood, so he was even more surrounded by trees than he was used to.

At school, he found it a lot easier to make friends than back in Texas. Mainly because there were more kids like him—ones that actually appreciated trees. Take Hannah, for example. They automatically became best friends when she sat next to him on the stump in the mini forest that was located on the recess field. They both talked about their interests, hobbies, and whatnot. The two ended up sharing a love of music and trees. That sealed the deal right there for Cameron. He really likes Hannah.

When Cameron was eleven—sometime after entering his final year of elementary school—he found himself constantly staring at an unnoticed pathway in the forest that bordered his house.

For days, it taunted him. He needed to go down that path and just explore the beauty of nature. To just run in and get lost.

One day in early November, he finally does.

It felt nice. The chill air hitting his exposed face. The pines towering over him. The crunch of leaves from random bushes and the occasional oak or whatever- the-heck-that-tree is under his feet. He may love trees, but he's not exactly an expert with them, yet.

Cameron loses track of time, and doesn't realize how long he's been wandering the forest. It's just so peaceful…so quiet… So, how couldn't he?

However, the moment of solitude and tranquility is broken as the sound of sobs reach his ears.

That's when he meets Damian.

He runs toward the sound of the sobs and finds a young brunette around his age leaning against one of the pines with his legs curled up to his chest and head buried in his folded arms.

"Hey! Are you okay?" Cameron questions the boy, concern laced in his voice

The boy immediately looks up, a startled expression on his face. He makes an attempt to wipe the tears away, but fails as they just keep falling.

Cameron isn't exactly sure what to do, so he drops to his knees and gathers the crying boy into his arms. The boy stiffens, but soon relaxes and returns the gesture.

After a few moments, Cameron pulls away and helps the boy to his feet, "Better?" He asks. The boy nods and wipes his cheeks to rid them of the wetness. Cameron smiles brightly. "Awesome! What's your name? I'm Robert Mitchell, but call me Cameron because it's my middle name and I think it fits me better than Robert. I'm also eleven years old, turning twelve in February, and in the sixth grade." He pauses, "I live over that way." He points in the direction he came from.

The brunette bites his lip nervously before replying. "I'm Damian McGinty…" He says quietly. Cameron's eyes bulge at the sound of his voice.

"Whoa, you sound funny."

Damian glares at him, "So do you."

Cameron scoffs, "No, I don't!"

"Well, no one sounds like you in Northern Ireland, so you sound funny to me"

The blonde boy gapes at him, "You're from Ireland?! That's so cool! Are there actually leprechauns there?" He already knew they don't exist; he just wanted to know what Damian would say.

"No," the Irish deadpans.

Cameron grins, "I like you. We should be friends!"

Damian grins back with a giggle and nods. "Yeah," he says.

"So," Cameron starts, "why were you crying?"

The Irish boy blushes and looks at the ground, shifting his feet awkwardly. "I just moved here a couple days ago and I wanted to go exploring because I was feeling stressed, but I got lost…"

The blonde furrows his eyebrows in pity. "Aww man, that sucks!" He hesitates for a moment. "I have an idea! How about I take you to my house and you can call your mom, then she can pick you up. How about it?"

Damian nods vigorously. "Yes, please! Thank you so much, Cameron!" He smiles widely at Cameron, who grins back.

"Great, let's go!" Cameron takes Damian's hand and leads him in the direction of his house. He was glad he decided to go down that path today.

* * *

From that day forward, the two boys met up in that exact spot. Cameron had assisted Damian in making a sort of trail so he could find his way home and to their 'hideout'—as they now call it—without getting lost again. He learned that the Irish boy had no sense of direction, whatsoever.

Cameron had also learned that Damian had just recently turned eleven, so that would make him a fifth grader. Bummer, he wouldn't be able to see him at school very much or at all the next year, since he would be in junior high for seventh while Damian was stuck in sixth.

But it didn't matter; they still had their hideout.

Over the next couple of years, the two had become the best of friends; they were inseparable. Cameron had introduced Damian to Hannah and they hit it off right away. Too bad, she couldn't hang out with them in their hideout; she would really like the area. Anyway, they had both aided him in his first year of junior high—which Damian found a bit frightening with the whole 'six different classes plus homeroom everyday except on Thursdays' thing—and expand his music collection. That was another thing the three of them adored. Music and nature. The moment Cameron got his first guitar away from lessons on his thirteenth birthday, he decided to bring it with him to his and Damian's spot whenever he could.

It was nearing the end of Cameron's time as a freshman, his time in junior high, when his feelings for his best friend began to change. Whenever they met in the hallways, for lunch, or in their place amidst the trees, he'd get this tightening feeling in his chest. It was similar to the one he had when he first met his current girlfriend of two years, Macy—but stronger. He didn't understand. Why was he feeling like this around Damian, a boy, when he should be feeling it with Macy?

"Hey, Cam? Are you all right?" Damian asks, breaking his friend out of his thoughts. The two were currently sitting in the branches of one of the trees around the hideout after the last day of school. The small chosen area hadn't changed a bit in the three and a half years they've been sneaking off there.

Cameron looks up from his lap with a passive expression on his face. "Yeah, I guess… Just thinkin'…" he mumbles. He tries not so say too much around his friend now. Sometimes he gets scared that he may say the wrong thing and reveal his newfound feelings toward him.

Damian's eyes narrow. "Well, what are you thinking about? We are best friends, aren't we? You can tell me anything." He told Cameron this at least a few hundred times. It usually works when trying to get something out of the blonde. Other times he's left to constantly provoke his best friend into telling him the secret. He means, seriously… Talk about trust.

Cameron chuckles softly, "It's just…I'm going to high school in two and a half months while you're going to be stuck at the junior high, man. I have to wait another year until I can see you everyday without having to come here to the hideout…" His voice trails off as he looks down at the ground below. He could easily jump from his spot in the tree without injuring himself and being able to keep his balance on his clumsy feet. Though, it looked much higher than it really was, so he never tried. Damian has, though, and he enjoyed it.

He hears a laugh from next to him. "Come on, Cam! It'll be okay! We did it once; we can do it again. Besides, you said freshman year was supposed to fly by anyway, so I bet your sophomore will feel like only a month. So, it should be a-okay!" Cameron turns his head to look at his friend's smiling face. The boy's grin was so infectious; he couldn't help but smile back.

"Thanks for the pep-talk, Damo." He pats the brunette on the back. "But, it's not only the school thing with us, it's also…" He sighs, creating a silence.

"Is it Macy?" Damian asks, raising an eyebrow.

Cameron moves his head in a way that said 'sort of'. "Yeah, kind of. Well…she didn't actually do anything. It's me, actually. I just feel that we're growing apart. Like, the romance is fading. To me, it is; I'm not so sure about her." He bites his lip. "And…I think I've fallen for someone else…" The last part slips without him thinking. Once he realizes that, he begins to fluster a little and glances at Damian—whom has his eyebrows shot up and mouth formed into an 'O'.

"Oh, wow, uh… Really?" Damian leans against the body of the tree. "I'm not generally an expert on this stuff, but you should break up with her and be honest about it, I guess…" He shrugs and picks his fingernails for no reason in particular.

Cameron considers this for a moment. "Yeah, I guess I should. I shouldn't continue to lead her on. It's not fair to her."

Damian clicks his tongue and nods. "Yep… Anyway…" he looks up at the blonde and smirks, "who is it?"

"What?" Cameron snaps his head up to his friend. He didn't quite understand.

The Irish boy laughs aloud and shakes his head in amusement. "This new girl! Who is it? Is it Hannah?" Cameron feels a rush of heat run to his face.

"What? No! Not that I wouldn't like her or anything, but Hannah is like my sister and I wouldn't date my sister. Just imagine me dating one of my older sisters! It's just…" He shudders in disgust.

Damian chuckles, "Good. I was only joking, anyway." He pulls himself off the base of the tree and leans forward, closer to Cameron. "So, are you going to tell me who it is?"

Cameron pauses and stares at his best friend's face. He locks eyes with the Irish lad and just stares into his bright blue irises. They were Cameron's favorite attribute about Damian. That, and his charming smile. He could stare into those eyes forever if he could—to get lost in them the same way he wants to get lost in every forested area he sees. And that smile…it makes him feel joyous inside every time he is the one to cause it. It gives him one of the most wonderful feelings he has ever felt. He doesn't notice when his gaze moves to Damian's lips. Perfect, plump, pink, and…inviting… He wonders how they taste. How soft they are…

"Cameron?" Damian notices the wanting stare, "Why are you ogling me like that?" He questions nervously. Cameron has never looked at him like that. The look was identical to the one he used to give Macy—but with more…desire.

The blonde doesn't snap out of the gaze or even heed to Damian's words. Without thinking, he leans forward and captures the brunette's lips in his.

Damian becomes immobile. His eyes flew wide open. He couldn't move; he was frozen. Why…was Cameron kissing him—taking his first kiss? It didn't make sense… Was he the one Cameron was talking about? The exception? The new love interest? He suddenly didn't want to know now.

When Cameron pulls away, he realizes exactly what he had done. He gasps, eyes open wide, his face darkens in red, and his left hand flies to his mouth. He looks at Damian, who is still frozen with blue eyes seeping with…bewilderment and confusion. _He_ had just stolen _Damian's _first kiss…

"I-I—oh my God! Damian, I-I am so sorry! I-I-I gotta go!" He stutters out before hopping off the tree, stumbling slightly when he lands, and running in the direction of his house. Leaving Damian all by himself.

The Irish boy lets out the breath he's been holding and puts his fingers to his lips. There was this tingling feeling lingering there from the kiss. What does this feeling mean? And why didn't he not like it?

* * *

Throughout the summer, Damian never saw Cameron once. He would walk to their place everyday and sit in the tree for hours—not once catching a glimpse of the blonde. Every evening, he would go home, disappointed that Cameron never turned up. He contemplated going to his house and confronting him a few times, but he's sure he'd get lost. He hasn't quite memorized the way to Cameron's yet (the pathway was a bit complicated and there's still the fact that he has no sense of direction). He's also called and texted the guy plenty of times, but each one was ignored.

During ninth grade, he felt lonely. Sure, he had Samuel, Marissa, and Lindsay, but their company wasn't as grand as Cameron's. He constantly wonders how the blonde was faring at the high school. Was he doing okay in classes? Was it crowded (then he remembers Emmett and Gemma went there. They told him it wasn't as packed with kids as it seemed)? How was Hannah doing (he talks to her often and she has no idea about the kiss; though she's suspecting something due to 'Cameron's disconnection', as she has explained to him)? What are his classes (Hannah only has two classes with him—music elective and math—and he hasn't told her anything else)? Is he in a music elective (already explained)? Is he eating properly (Hannah says he doesn't eat lunch)? Many more cross his mind, but he knows Cameron won't answer them and Hannah can only answer so many.

Winter break comes and goes. The snow falls and melts. In February, he makes sure to leave Cameron a happy sixteenth birthday message. He doesn't receive a reply.

As spring blossoms, Damian begins to lose hope on the friendship he and Cameron had once had. He means...it's almost been a year since he's even seen the older boy. What's the point in trying now? Cameron won't show up at their spot in the large forest separating their houses, let alone even bother to text him back. The more the hope dwindles, the more he finds himself crying to sleep at night. And Damian is not one to cry. The last time he had cried was when he got lost all those years ago. The day he met Cameron…

He just wants his best friend back—regardless about what their relationship could've shifted to.

The final months of school pass like a blur. He can hardly recall anything. Being Lindsay's date to the freshman dance, having won the freshman 'Hall of Fame' category for 'Prettiest Eyes' with Lindsay in the yearbook, going through the ninth grade graduation thing—authorizing them to become students at the high school… It's all a massive haze to him. All that resided in his mind was Cameron's face. He was honestly surprised he passed the year with a B minus average.

Last day of school and he unconsciously found himself seated next to the tree where Cameron had first found him. It had to be one of his most precious memories; meeting Cameron for the first time… It made moving to the United States so much more worthwhile.

Not only did he continually think about his best friend, he repeated thought about that kiss. It shocked him greatly—considering it was his first kiss—but it felt…good…exhilarating, even. He desperately wants to feel those soft lips against his again. He wants to feel that euphoria again.

'_A year… I haven't seen his face or heard his voice in a year…' _Damian thinks as he rests his head against the rough bark of the pine. He seriously couldn't believe it's been an entire year. It passed by much too fast. Faster than he had anticipated. Just thinking about it brought tears to the corners of his eyes. He buries his face in his arms and let them fall freely.

This was a familiar scene… Except, the only difference is that Cameron won't magically show up and comfort him.

It's basically official. If Cameron was going to cut him from his life, then…their friendship has vanished. Cameron had become somebody that he used to know. And all because of a stupid little kiss.

No… He refused to accept it. It would not happen. Cameron wasn't going to drop him that easily. A sudden rush of tenacity came through him and he staggers to his feet. His blue eyes were tinged red from crying and he made no attempt to wipe the tears away. He didn't care about them at that moment. He was going to approach Cameron about this whole situation whether he got lost or not.

He was going to show Cameron just how much he needed him.

How much he had begun to fall for him.

Damian took his first step in the direction he was ninety percent sure led to Cameron's house. He's confident it's this way! He remembers walking this way with the blonde. It _was _this way right? Oh God, where is he? The forest between his and Cameron's house, duh… Jesus, now he was starting to regret the idea of finding Cameron's house. With each step he took, he found himself getting more and more lost. His determination vanishes and he began to panic. Which way was left again? He can't remember. He feels as if he's been wandering this dense forest for hours. His entire vision and mind became a blur. _'Stop panicking, Damian. Calm down, you'll make it… Remember, it doesn't matter if you get lost. You'll make it…'_

He looks up through the branches at the now darkening sky. His panic rises as he makes a move to pull out his phone to check the time and call for help, only to find that he didn't have it. He begins to hyperventilate and a dizzy feeling washes over his entire system. Before he collapses, he does the only thing he could think to do:

"CAMERON!"

* * *

He was busy. Yeah, that was a convincing enough excuse to use on Damian the next time he saw him… Aww, who was he kidding? That was just a lame excuse. He was sure even Matheus wouldn't believe it, and he was as gullible as a three-year-old. _And _Matheus was a freaking junior, too, for Christ's sake!

What Cameron _was_ doing was purposely ignoring his best friend. If he could even call Damian that anymore. He wanted to be more than that, though he's sure Damian didn't. He has already effed up their friendship; kissing Damian was his biggest regret to date. However, at the same time, he was glad he did it. It felt as if a giant burden had been lifted off his shoulders. Though, not one, but two different burdens crashed right back onto him. The first was sort of explained. Well, part of it. He was scared to Damian's full reaction… If he had hurt him for taking his first kiss or maybe for abandoning him. That felt right, though…isolating himself from the brunette.

Then there was school…and Macy. He would have to say, CKHS was pretty cool. It's not too crowded and it has a great curriculum—due to it being one of the top high schools in the nation. So, for once he at least enjoyed school. It was like an easy get away from home life…away from trees… The trees reminded him too much of Damian.

With Macy…he still has yet to break up with her. He just cannot find the heart to do it. Macy is just so…in love with him; he couldn't bring himself to break her fragile heart. Even if his feelings toward her weren't the same. They were more…like the way a brother loves a sister—like the way he felt toward Hannah. A really good friend… However, there would be times where he managed to convince himself that it was Macy he was in love with.

Yeah, he was being a good Christian. Being in love with Macy, a girl. Not Damian, a boy. Good Christian males don't fall for other males—as his father once told him the previous year when he asked to go to his gay friend, Alex's, birthday party. He had gotten really pissed at his dad for saying such a thing and went to the party anyway.

It makes him feel like a hypocrite. For believing in the rights of others, but not himself. He wouldn't know whether to call himself selfish or selfless. Selfish for leading Macy on, pretending to love her, falling for someone else…using her to convince himself that he was straight. Selfless for reminding himself that others are more important than himself. He's just a Christian gay boy with a homophobic father, and a ruined friendship with the boy he had fallen for. What hope does he have to care for himself?

'_No, do not go thinking like that, Cameron. Remember, you are a good, straight Christian who is in love with Macy Maloy. Not Damian McGinty.'_ He had reminded himself countless times throughout sophomore year.

He couldn't really recall much about the year, to be honest. He remembers passing his music elective with flying colors and barely managing a C average in the other five classes. 2.3 was a good enough GPA, right?

Hannah constantly worried over him, too. She tends to do that. Get all motherly on him when he disconnected himself from reality and 'crash lands on Planet Cameron', as she had begun to word it. Talking to the ginger girl had to be one of the very few things he enjoyed, let alone remembered, about sophomore year.

At home, he would go straight to his room, finish some of the homework he would get, scrap the rest, occasionally come down for dinner (probably three times a week, he would. More or less.), and plug in his ear buds in or strum his guitar. He would also do his best to ignore looking out the window, and the many unread text messages and phone calls from Damian. He really doesn't want to talk with the Irish boy. Can't he get the memo across his thick Irish skull? Why else would be avoiding him?

Though, whenever he plucks at his guitar strings, he would begin to feel nostalgic. Whenever he listened to a song he and Damian had sung together, tears would burn the backs of his eyes. And whenever he'd find himself staring out the window to the large forest separating their houses, he would silently cry himself to sleep. That's the main reason he bought those black, wide-rimmed mock RayBans. To help make the redness around his eyes less noticeable.

He misses it all. But, it's for the best that he doesn't go back. He does not want to risk anything more with Damian.

The year passes like a blur and it was already the final day of sophomore. He rather wished the year would last longer, that way he wouldn't have to see Damian at school at the end of the summer. But, nonetheless, it was hard to believe it had been an entire year since he's last laid eyes on him. A year since he'd last gazed into those gorgeous ocean eyes of his. A year since he'd last heard his beautiful voice. Since he'd smiled back to his infectious grin.

'_No, Cameron. Stop thinking like this…' _He could feel himself getting lightheaded and the tears brimming his eyes as he forces the thought. He squeezes his eyes shut and opens his window to let in some fresh air. The semi-chill, humid evening breeze feels nice as it flows though his nose and into his lungs. He could smell the bitter-sweetness of the pines and that familiar scent of incoming rain for later that night; it calms him instantly.

He turns his back to the window and his eyelids flutter open—his blue irises dulled from lack of positive emotions. He hardly felt happiness anymore. Though, he wouldn't say he was entirely depressed. His parents and sisters are only starting to get suspicious that something is wrong with him. What an _amazing_ family he has…

With a sigh, he rubs his eyes, grabs his guitar, and plops down onto his bed. He strums a few chords before it turns into one of his current favorite songs. He doesn't know why he likes it so much; maybe it's because it perfectly represents himself at the moment. Lost.

_Daylight, it comes_

_In the knick of time_

He begins to sing. It's like a habit now, singing whatever song came to mind when he was feeling distressed—which was basically all the time now.

_Shine some light into the darkest corners_

_Of his mind_

He purposely changed the lyric to 'his' instead of 'her'. Obvious reasons.

_Oh… the world is_

_Oh, the world is…_

_Weighing down on you…_

That's how he feels with those heavy burdens. They're just weighing him down. Keeping him in place rather than just letting him move on.

_Oh…_

_Piece by piece…_

_It all falls away_

_All this beauty, all this magic 'til_

_There's nothing there_

A perfect description of his and Damian's friendship.

_If only love…_

_Was enough…_

_I could reach you, _

_I would reach you…_

If only it was enough.

_Well, you know I'm not tired of you_

_But maybe you got tired of me_

_Seems like every little thing I do_

_Makes you pull yourself away_

That damned kiss…

_So I'm waiting for the sun_

_When you only see the grey _

_Oh no, oh no… _

_No _

_Oh, no…_

_Wont you please come on home…? _

_Oh…_

_Oh…_

_Oh… oh…_

With Cameron, he feels as if he's the one only seeing the grey. Not Damian.

_Oh, I've been missing you_

_You got lost along the way._

He has been missing Damian greatly, but somehow that line made him smile. Getting lost…. He was glad Damian got lost or he never would have really met him. Or fallen in love with him… But, the Irish was always getting lost. Therefore, he was bound to meet him anyway. It was like fate.

_Oh, maybe you aren't lost_

_It's still in you somewhere_

No…it's not.

_If only love…_

_Was enough…_

_I could reach you_

_I would—_

He abruptly stopped stops singing and nearly drops his guitar at what crossed his ears. He snaps his head up and gawks out the open window. It was faint due to the acoustic melody and his voice, but he still heard the echo.

Cameron.

His own name.

Said in a very familiar voice.

Cameron wasn't sure how to control his reaction to this. It was all his muscles working without his brains consent. He hopped to his feet—glad he never bothered to take his shoes off—and sprinted out of the house entirely; his mother shouting at him about 'where in world was he going'. She was ignored as he sprints across the yard and jumps into the trees.

It was like his own instinct that led him to Damian. He didn't need sound or GPS to find him. Like he thought earlier, it was fate.

He didn't even bother with the hideout. The voice didn't come from that direction. He just continues to hop over bushes and jog around trees. It was slightly harder to get around since it was dark out, now. The only light source he had was the moon, and there wasn't much of it considering the branches blocked the light from peering into the forest.

Everything in the forest was just a massive haze—time passed by as if it was nothing. His breathing was heavy; his long legs helped him travel quicker… All he remembers is when he finds him.

Damian is out-cold on the forest ground. Cameron immediately drops to his knees, gathers the Irish boy into his arms, and cradles him closer. He's grown a bit; he notices that.

"Damian?" he coaxes. "I thought I told you to never look for my house by yourself…" He whispers into the unconscious boy's ear, feeling tears stinging the corners of his eyes. He does his best to suppress a sob and lifts his friend, placing him on his back so he doesn't break his own lanky body. Unlike Damian, Cameron has a keen sense of direction and makes it home with ease.

Upon entering, his mother is already on him.

"Robert Cameron Mitchell! What in the world—oh my God!" She cuts herself off once she notices the unconscious boy on his back. "What happened to him? Why is he passed out?"

Cameron shrugs, "I assume he got lost…had a panic attack."

His mother blinks, "How did you find him?"

He shrugs again, "Instinct. I'm going to take him to my room." He says as he trudges up the stairs with the Irish lad.

"I-I'll call his mother," she says before disappearing into the kitchen.

Once in his room, he places Damian on his bed, removes his shoes—both of theirs—, and kneels on the side of the bed. He admires his friend's sleeping face. He has seen it plenty of times, but you could tell the brunette has grown over the year; he's not the cute little kid he met in the forest almost five years prior. He feels his breath hitch in his throat at the sheer beauty of the boy in front of him. He cannot deny any more that he had fallen; and he had fallen hard.

Unconsciously, his left hand moves to the Irish boy's head. His lithe fingers brush back stray hair from his forehead and run through his soft dark brown locks. There are a few pieces of forest debris left in the strands, so he takes the time to remove them. He wants Damian's hair to at least look nice for when he awakens. Though, all he currently wishes is that Damian's gorgeous eyes would open.

He could feel the tears spring to his eyes, though this time he ignores them instead of desperately trying to wipe them away. He doesn't care if Damian sees him cry. It would only show how much he needed him—how much he adored him. So, he just lets them freefall.

After a few minutes, Damian groans and begins to stir. Cameron's heart races and the butterflies flutter around his stomach. His hand freezes its movements as the boy's eyes slowly blink open. Even when awoken from a sleep like state, his irises still manage to stay their stunning bright ocean blue. Cameron hopes they never change. Either in colour or dullness. He doesn't want them to wind up like his, a dark and dreary blue.

Damian wasn't exactly sure where he was or how he got there, but all he knew is that this was not his room. He feels something on his head and he contemplates whether he wants to know what it is or not. So, choosing the former, he slowly turns his head to his right and sees something he doesn't expect. His eyes widen slightly and his breath gets caught in his throat.

"Cameron?" He chokes out, propping himself up on his elbows, his voice hoarse.

Cameron feels a chill travel down his spine at the sound of Damian's voice. "Your voice has gotten deeper…" he mutters without thinking. A blush creeps onto his face once he realizes he stated what was on his mind. He really needs to work on that habit around Damian.

Tears immediately bead at the corners of Damian's eyes and he flings himself in Cameron's arms. Cameron almost fell back on the floor at the impact and general shock. The Irish boy buries his face in his friend's shoulder and continues to weep. The blonde is slightly at loss about what to do, so—this being a trick he learned years ago—he wraps his arms around Damian and rocks him back and forth while tracing his fingers across his back in a soothing manner.

The two stay in that position, until Cameron's mother opens his bedroom door. "Cameron? Joanne is here to retrieve Dam—oh…" She stops as she watches the two hastily break away from each other out of surprise. She notices their tear stained faces and furrows her eyebrows.

"Um… I'll just leave you two to talk." She says uncomfortably while turning around and closing the door with her. Silence consumes the room, with the exception of Damian's sniffles.

"Why?" Damian mutters after a few awkward minutes, shattering the long pregnant silence. Cameron turns up to look at him, slightly unsure. One-word questions weren't too easy to answer unless you already had a subject to chat about. The Irish boy chokes back a sob and responds to Cameron's silence. "Why now? Why d-do you all of a sudden show up when y-you've ignored me the e-entire year…?" More tears trail down his face. He's not sure how many times he's cried since this day last year; he's surprised he hasn't run out of tears yet.

Cameron gives him signs of mixed emotions. He stares at him with slight bewilderment, looks down in contemplation, eyes dart to the right and shoulders relax in melancholy, squeezes his eyes shut in frustration, and glances back at Damian with apologetic eyes.

"I…" he pauses, taking a deep breath. "I heard you scream for me…like, you were terrified and I knew…that you had gotten yourself lost." He bites his lip and looks up at the ceiling. "Finding you practically in the middle of no where—even I've never traveled that far into the forest—was pure instinct. You…could've died if I didn't hear you. You would've been there all night and it's supposed to rain…"

Damian attempted to swallow the lump in his throat, but failed. He doesn't remember much about earlier, but…it terrified him knowing that he may have died if he didn't shout for Cameron before blacking out. He feels his fingers fisting Cameron's bed sheets tightly as he looks to his lap. He teeth clatter, his body shivers, and he found it difficult to choke back his tears. Cameron eyes the boy he loves with sympathetic eyes and scurries on the bed to sit next to Damian. He wraps his arm around the Irish lad and pulls him closer. Damian buries his face into Cameron's chest and begins sobbing, once again. The blonde feels the tears slipping from his own eyes and he nestles his face into Damian's soft locks, hiding his tearful face.

"I'm sorry…" the older boy croaks, "I'm so sorry… I'm sorry for causing you all this pain… I'm sorry for causing you to get lost… I've told you not to go through the forest on your own." He clenches his teeth to suppress a sob. "I've told you…so many times…"

"I-I n-needed you, C-Cameron…" the brunette manages through sobs. His throat is starting to get sore from the sobs that racked against his raw trachea. "I-I…d-didn't ca-are i-if I got lost… I…wan-wanted t-to fe-feel like y-you, for once… To be able t-to r-run in and g-get lost…" he whispers the last part.

Cameron's still doing his best to bite back his sob. "But, u-unlike you, I can find my way back…" The sob finally fights its way out from between his lips. His hold on Damian tightens and the younger boy resumes weeping in Cameron's shoulder. The two then become sniveling messes in each other's arms.

After a couple of long minutes, they are able calm themselves down to the point where they can speak coherently.

"Why did you avoid me for so long…?" Damian mumbles in less than a whisper. If Cameron wasn't as close to him as he was, he probably wouldn't be able to hear what was even asked of him.

Cameron sniffs softy and swallows the lump in his throat. "I…I was scared…" he whispers just as quietly. "I was terrified of what you might say to me or what your reaction to…the kiss was. I had sleepless nights, dreading that you'd despise me for taking your first kiss and it being with a stupid boy, like me. Not with a pretty girl like Lindsay, Marissa, Emily, or even Hannah…" He burrows his head further into Damian's hair, taking in the musky forest and Irish shampoo scent in an attempt to calm himself.

Damian doesn't know what to say to Cameron. He actually believed that he would hate him for…taking his first kiss? After it happened, he realized how much he didn't care for it. Because he was glad that Cameron was the one to take it.

When Damian doesn't respond, Cameron continues, "I love you, Damian McGinty… I have since about half way through my freshman year. I want you, Damian… I need you…so bad, it hurts…and that pain made me hurt you in return." Damian can feel Cameron's body quivering uncontrollably against his. "I am so sorry…"

Damian bites his lip lightly and shifts so he can back out of Cameron's hold. He places his hand on Cameron's neck, his thumb caressing his tear-stained cheek, wiping them away. The two just stare into each other's eyes—bright against dull blue—before Damian opens his mouth to speak.

"Please, stop apologizing, Cameron…" he murmurs, before bringing Cameron's head down and pressing his lips to the blonde's. Cameron's eyes widen in obvious surprise. Whoa, wait… Damian's kissing him? Did…did he return his feelings or something or—? Oh, whatever. Damian is freaking _kissing_ him! He just tosses the thought away as he closes his eyes, brings his hands to the back of the Irish lad's head, and kisses him back—further deepening then kiss.

They both felt it as their mouths moved against each other. The fireworks going of in their minds, the sparks and fire burning their connected lips, the butterflies rampaging their insides. Neither had felt his way with anyone before. Cameron certainly had never had this great of a feeling when kissing Macy, post nor prior to falling in love with Damian. It was exhilarating, electrifying, enchanting, and other synonyms starting with the letter 'E'.

The time with their lips locked felt much too short for their liking. Reluctantly and breathless, they pulled away, gasping for air, faces flushed red, lips swollen, the distressed emotions fading away. They grinned sheepishly at each other.

"Wow…" Cameron begins, a bit winded. "That was at least twenty times better than with Macy…" he mumbles without thinking. Damian raises an eyebrow at him.

"Did you break up with her, like you said you would?" His scold was there, but it was subtle and a little playful.

Cameron darts his eyes from side to side and blushes an even deeper shade of red, "Um…"

"You didn't, did you?"

The blonde winces slightly, "no…"

Damian rolls his eyes and sighs. "Wow, you're a dick," he states bluntly. "Are you just using her as a beard now since you're on the gay train?" He chuckles as Cameron flusters.

"Not…entirely… I don't want to hurt her like I hurt you, you know? And…" he hesitates for a moment, "I actually used her to convince myself that I was straight and in love with her, and not gay and in love with you." He stared down at his lap as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.

Damian gazes at the blonde, flabbergasted. Cameron was able to convince himself that he was heterosexual? Well, that's quite the achievement for your everyday homosexual male. "Um… Well…" He thinks for a moment and puts his mind back on the topic of Macy. "Like I said: be honest. She'll understand, though she may feel somewhat awkward about having dated a gay guy for three years. But, she'll understand." He was still feeling a bit problematic about responding to how he used her, so that is all he says.

Cameron juts out his bottom lip in concentration—Damian chuckles at this. "Okay… I guess I'll try and break up with her."

"Good," the brunette pats Cameron's leg. "Damn, I can't actually believe you lasted three years with the girl. When you two first got together back in seventh grade, I didn't think you two would finish eighth hand-in-hand." He shakes his head and snickers, glancing at Cameron.

The older boy smirks slightly. "Maybe…" he says, leaning in closer to Damian, "I'll last longer with a boyfriend." He takes the Irish boy's hand in his and laces their fingers together.

Damian blinks before squeezing Cameron's hand and grinning back. "Deal," he leans in the rest of the way, closing the distance. They pulled away after a moment and continue to smirk at each other.

"What's with the glasses? I don't remember you ever being blind." Damian points out the fake spectacles resting on Cameron's nose. The blonde blushes and adjusts them.

"Long story," he says simply. Damian raises an eyebrow and parts his lips to inquire how it was a long story.

"Hey," Cameron says, cutting Damian off from speaking. "I think you should get going. It's late and your mom's probably wondering what's taking you so long." He gives him a smug look.

Damian blushes a deep red—he forgot that his mum was here. "Yeah, I should…" He stands and looks back at the blonde, "Usual spot, tomorrow?"

Cameron smiles softly and nods, "Yeah! Oh, and if you ever want to wander the forest aimlessly again, tell me. We can get lost together." Damian stares at him for a moment before breaking out into a big grin.

"I promise." He seals said promise with one last kiss to Cameron's lips and leaves the room. Cameron sighs in content before flopping back onto his bed. For the first time in a long time, he felt…happy. He had missed the feeling and it felt absolutely amazing. And he gets to experience it with the boy he loves.

He wonders how different life would be if he never ran into the forest and got lost all those years back. Would fate have led them to each other anyway or would they have to deal with life without each other? Who knows? He's just rejoiced he decided on that special November day to run in and get lost.


End file.
